New Ford Toyota parts, service area almost done

Construction continues at Ford Toyota of Greenfield. Catherine Skiba, spokeswoman for DEP, said setting limits of use on a property that has been used as a dealership and commercial garage for so many years is common.(Recorder file/Paul Franz) Purchase photo reprints »

GREENFIELD — Ford Toyota of Greenfield plans to open its new parts and service department by August and new showroom after the beginning of next year.

Owner Robert Cartelli said the $7.4 million project, which began last year and involves the company razing all of the buildings there and constructing a new one set back from the road, ran into some snags and delays. Cartelli said weather and 85 feet of clay slowed construction, but everything is coming along nicely now.

He said contractors had to dig 5 feet down to pour the foundation, which was something they didn’t expect when they started.

Cartelli said there was also some contamination found, which he expected under a car dealership, but that has since been cleaned up.

“We’re more than doubling our space,” said Cartelli.

The new building will be 33,000 square feet.

Ford bought a couple of houses on either side of Ford Toyota so the property is a total of 1.5 acres, said Cartelli.

He said when the new parts and service area is complete, Ford will raze the old service building and bays to begin work on the new showroom.

In the meantime, the company will keep the showroom at the front end of the building intact. It will be the last to be razed.

When it is, the plan has always been to take off the bas relief designs before the building is razed and save them.

Greenfield’s Historical Commission said it hopes that when a municipal parking garage is built on Olive Street, the bas relief designs will be incorporated in the construction of that building to display some of the town’s transportation history.

Cartelli said he will continue to lease the triangle across the street from the Main Street dealership, which he uses to display vehicles.

“We’d love to open the entire building around Christmas or New Year’s, but we’re probably looking at later in January or February,” he said.

“This is a good investment in Greenfield,” said Cartelli.

He said he is adding eight service bays for a total of 22 for quicker service and customer convenience.